Short answer: yes, both directly and indirectly.
Employees who are personally impacted by immigration enforcement or related protests may be living with fear, disruption, or real physical risk. But even for employees who are not directly affected, sustained exposure to distressing news coverage and social media around ICE actions, protests, and recent deaths can act as a real stressor.
Clinically, high-intensity news and social media exposure has been linked to increased anxiety, sleep disruption, and depression, and can also present as physical symptoms like headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and fatigue. Over time, repeated exposure to traumatic or polarizing events can contribute to emotional exhaustion and reduced cognitive capacity, which can affect concentration, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Those factors matter for workplace safety, productivity, and overall employee health.
At this point, we haven't seen a meaningful increase in sick calls specifically tied to stress-related mental or physical complaints beyond what’s typical during flu, COVID, and RSV season. That said, for employees who are directly or indirectly impacted, these events can be triggering, and employers should expect uneven responses across their workforce.
Most organizations already have plans in place for operational risk if ICE activity occurs at or near the workplace. The bigger challenge now is supporting the larger employee population that may be feeling overwhelmed, angry, or emotionally taxed by ongoing coverage, even if their day-to-day work isn't impacted.
What can you do?
Acknowledging these stressors and proactively supporting mental well-being is a great place to start. Making mental health benefits visible, encouraging use of employee assistance programs, offering flexibility where feasible, and equipping managers to respond with empathy can help reduce both short- and long-term health impacts. These are unprecedented times and may require new resources, accommodations, and responses.
Resources for employers:
Sources: CIDRAP Center for Workplace Mental Health SHRM
So much of what we do here at ZHH is communicating complex, evolving scientific understanding into clear, actionable guidance for employers. But it’s always a trade-off between clarity and nuance. This thoughtful article from Kristen Panthagani covers a study that’s specifically on foodborne illness messaging - super relevant!